Washing machine



Nov. 2l, 1933. G. WEBB 1,936,279

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 20, 1931 i, a C,

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241:; I y 0 Q S 0 0 UL f ,1: l C?. 3 l 1L: lil 3 /4 /4 Y. ,6V/ALI: l 4462/3 /4- Z l z (l) fm1/@H U2. 555/235 I/L/'Ebb 'had c A major cause ofmixing has been the conveyor Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATESWASHING MACHINE George Webb, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to ColtsPatent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co., Hartford, Conn., a corporation ofConnecticut Application May 20, 1931.

Serial No. 538,683

4 Claims. (Cl. 141-1) In machines used for washing or cleaning metalparts and other articles during or subsequent to the manufacturethereof, it is common practice to subject the metal parts or otherarticles to the action of two or more different washing or clean.;- ingliquids. One liquid may be a solution of a cleaning compound and anothermay be pure rinsing water, or one liquid may be an acid picklingsolution and another may be rinsing water, or various other combinationsof liquids may be used. Ordinarily the articles have been placed upon anendless conveyor which moved them con'ir iously through the machine.During the .mo ent of the articles by the conveyor, the several washingliquids were discharged against or onto the work and tanks were providedunderneath the conveyor so that the respective liquids could, in themain, return to their proper tanks.

Notwithstanding all precautions, there has heretofore always been aconsiderable degree of mi g oi the liquids. This mixing has occurred partly on account of splashing of the liquids over the top of any partitionthat could be provided be 'en the tanks, as the top of the partition bebelow the lower run of the conveyor.

itself, as considerable quantities ci the liquids would adhere both tothe upper and lower runs- .oi the conveyor and then during travel of theconveyor would drip into the tank intended for another liquid. Theconveyor has been particularly troublesome as a means of liquid transferin the case of a liquid which tended to become fea-my or frothy. Thefoam or froth would adhere in large quantities to the conveyor and thusbe bodily transferred. Y

The principal object of the present inventionr is to materially reducethe amount of mixing of the liquids occurring in washing machines of thegeneral type described.. In accordance with the invention I almostentirely eliminate any mixing due to the two causes which have beenreferred to.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown so much of a washing machine asis necessary for a complete understanding of the present invention, andit will be understood that the drawing is for illustrative purposes onlyand is not to be construed as dening or limiting the scope of theinvention, the claims forming a part of this specification being reliedupon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a washing machine embodying theinvention, this view being a sectional view taken along a horizontalplane immediately above the conveyors.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The drawing shows an intermediate portion of a washing machine at whichthe structure embodying the present invention is located. The machinecomprises two or more washing divisions and the structure of the presentinvention located at the juncture between the twodivisions. In thewashing machine as illustrated, the work can be understood as travelingfrom left to right, and t ere are provided two work carrying andsupporting endless conveyors, marked respectively 1 and 2. Theseconveyors have their upper runs in approximate alignment. Pairs ofsprocket wheels 3, 3 and 4,74 are provided for supporting and guidingthe adjacent ends of the two conveyors, these sprocket wheels beingcarried on transverse shafts 5 and 6 mounted in bearings i', 7 Aand 8.In order that the two conveyors may move in unison and in order that oneof them may drive the other, there is provided apower transmittingconnection between them. As shown there are sprocket wheels El and lo onthe shafts 5 and 6, these sprocket wheels being connected by an endlesschain 12.

The details of the conveyor belts themselves may be widely varied, butas shown each conveyor beit comprises two separate series of links atthe respective sides, these links being provided with rollers 1313 whichtravel on upper rails 1li, le and on lower rails 14a, 14a. The twoseries of side links are connected by means 0i" transverse slats or bars15, 15.

Positioned beneath the respective conveyors 1 and 2 are liquidcontaining tanks 16 and 17, of which only small fragments are shown inthe drawing. As illustrated the main body portions of these Ytanks areseparated from each other, butV the tanks are provided respectively withaprons 18 and 19 which span the space between the main portions of thetanks and which are adapted to receive liquids and drain them intov thecorresponding tanks.

Above the respective conveyors 1 and 2 are located separate means fordischarging washing liquids onto the work carried by the conveyors. Asshown each discharge means comprises a transverse pipe 20 or 21 withdischarge orifices in the bottom thereof. It will be understood that twoor more of such pipes are provided for each conveyor, and that thepipesmay be provided with suitable pumps or other means for deliveringthe liquids under rassure. It will be also understood that therespective pipes are so located that the liquids discharged from thoseof each group will fall into the corresponding tank or into the apronextension thereof.

. n will be evident that by providing two separate,

conveyors l and 2 instead of a single conveyor as has heretofore beencustomary, I have eliminated one important cause for the transfer ofliquid from the tank 16 to the tank 17 or for the transfer of liquidfrom the 'tank 17 to the tank 16. In order to further avoid any suchtransfer of liquid there is provided a transverse partition 22 whichextends entirely across the machine and which has its top edgesubstantially at the level of the top of the upper runs of the twoconveyors. This partition serves to further separate the respectiveliquids, it being obvious that this partition will prevent the transferof liquids by splashing. In order that the work may pass smoothly fromthe conveyor 1 to the conveyor 2, I provide means additional to theconveyors and positioned adjacent the top of the partition 22 forsupporting and guiding the work during movement thereof over thepartition from the conveyor 1 to the conveyor 2. This supporting andguiding means may vary as to details, but preferably it comprises tworollers 23 and 24 parallel with the partition and located at oppositesides thereof. These rollers are shown as being rotatably supported onbrackets 25 and 26 carried by the partition 22. The tops of the rollersare approximately in alignment with the tops of the respective conveyorsand work can therefore pass smoothly along from one conveyor to theother. If necessary the partition 22 may be suitably reinforced adjacentthe brackets 25 and 26, as for instance by an angle bar 27.

The right hand roller 24 may be somewhat lower than the left hand roller23, as is indicated in the drawing. This difference in level facilitatesthe movement of the work over the rollers, it being evident that thework will, if necessary, move by gravity without any assistance fromeither of the conveyors.

Small pieces of work which might fall into the spaces between the slats15, 15 or into the spaces between the conveyors and the rollers orbetween the rollers are placed in baskets such as the basket A shown inFig. 2 of the drawing. Larger pieces of work such as indicated at B maybe placed directly upon the conveyor.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the washingliquids cannot be transferred from one division of the machine toanother by means ofthe conveyors themselves or as the result ofsplashing. With this construction the transfer of liquids can ceeffected only by adherence of the liquid to the work itself; To reduceto a minimum even this small amount of liquid transfer, the partition 22is differentially spaced with respect to the two conveyors and islocated as far as possible from the conveyor 1, so as'to provide'themaximum opportunity for dripping from the work to take place before thework passes the partition 22.

What I claim is: Y

l. In a washing machine of the type described, the combination of twoadjacent tanks adapted to contain two different washing liquids, twoclosely adjacent separate endless belt conveyors positioned above therespective tanks with their upper runs in approximate alignment andmoving in the same direction, two separate means for discharging washingliquids onto work carried by the respective conveyors which liquidsdrain from the work and from the conveyors into the respective tanks, atransverse partition serving to separate the respective liquids andextending upward between the adjacent ends of the two conveyorsapproximately to the level of the tops thereof, and a roller additionalto the conveyors and positioned adjacent and parallel to the top of thepartition and at one side thereof for supporting and guiding work duringmovement thereof over the partition from one conveyor to the other.

2. In a washing machine of the type described, the combination of twoadjacent tanks adapted to contain two different washing liquids, twoclosely adjacent separate endless belt conveyors positioned above therespective tanks with their upper runs in approximate alignment andmoving in the same direction, two separate means for discharging washingliquids onto work carried by the respective conveyors which liquidsdrain from the work and from the conveyors into the respective tanks, atransverse partition serving to separate the respective liquids andextending upward between the adjacent ends of the two conveyorsapproximately to the level of the tops thereof, and two rollersadditional to the conveyors and positioned adjacent and parallel to thetop of the partition and at opposite sides thereof for supporting andguiding work during movement thereof over the partition from oneconveyor to the other.

3. In a washing machine of the type described, the combination of twoadjacent tanks adapted to contain two different washing liquids, twoclosely adjacent separate endless belt conveyors positioned above therespective tanks with their upper runs in approximate alignment andmoving in the same direction, two separate means for discharging washingliquids onto work carried by the respective conveyors which liquidsdrain from the work and from the conveyors into the respective tanks, atransverse partition serving to separate the respective liquids andextending upward between the adjacent ends of the two conveyorsapproximately to the level of the tops thereof, which partition isdifferentially spaced with respect to the two conveyors being fartherfrom the conveyor which first carries the work, and two rollersadditional to the conveyors and positioned adjacent and parallel to thetop of the partition and at opposite sides thereof for supporting andguiding work during movement thereof over the partition from oneconveyor to the other.

4. In a washing machine of the type described, the the combination oftwo adjacent tanks adapted to contain two different washing liquids, twoclosely adjacent separate endless belt conveyors positioned above therespective tanks with their upper runs moving in the same direction andwith the upper run of the conveyor which first carries the workpositioned at a slightly higher level than'the upper run of the otherconveyor, two separate means for discharging washing liquids onto workcarried by the respective conveyors which liquids drain from the workand from the conveyors into the respective tanks, a transverse partitionbetween the adjacent ends of the two conveyors for separating therespective liquids, and two rollers additional to the conveyors andpositioned adjacent and parallel to the top of the partition and atopposite sides thereof for supporting and guiding work during movementthereof over the partition from one conveyor to the other, the saidrollers being at different levels to facilitate movement of the work bygravity. GEORGE WEBB.

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